1. Field of the Invention:
The present invention relates generally to an improved data processing system, and in particular, to a computer implemented method for transferring data. Still more particularly, the present invention relates to a computer implemented method, system, and computer usable program code for migrating memory data between partitions.
2. Description of the Related Art:
Data processing systems can be divided into logical partitions (LPAR). Each logical partition operates as a separate data processing system independent of the other logical partitions. Generally, a partition management firmware connects the various logical partitions and provides the network connectivity among them. Hypervisor is an example of such partition management firmware.
Occasionally, a need may arise to mobilize or migrate one logical partition to another logical partition. Mobilizing or migrating is the process of moving from one location to another. Mobilizing a logical partition is migrating the applications and processes on the logical partition to another logical partition. Migrating the applications and processes includes migrating the data associated with those applications and processes from one logical partition—the source logical partition—to another logical partition—the destination logical partition. Migrating such data includes relocating data residing on any persistent data storage, such as hard disks. Migrating such data also includes relocating data in memory for any applications or processes that may be executing on the source partition at the time of mobilizing the source partition.
Data in memory includes data addressable by virtual address space of a logical partition. In migrating memory data of a source logical partition to a destination logical partition, a need for migrating the data located in the paging space of the source logical partition may also arise. Paging space is the data storage, often an area allocated on a persistent storage, where data from the memory may be temporarily removed to make space available in the memory. Migrating memory data includes migrating data in the paging space.
Present method for migrating memory data between partitions is slow and vulnerable to a compromise of the data being migrated. Therefore, an improved system, method, and product for migrating memory data between partitions will be desirable.